5 Triply Tempting Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy

Earnings, dividend hikes & surges make these the belles of the ball

Comcast

In mid-February, cable TV behemoth Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) boosted its dividend signal by a whopping 44%. That move definitely pleased shareholders, and in May, the company showed why it felt confident increase its dividend so much, as Comcast reported a 30% increase in first-quarter earnings thanks in part to strong Super Bowl advertising. The company reported net income of $1.224 billion, or 45 cents per share, for the January-March period. That metric easily bested the $943 million, or 34 cents per share, a year ago. Wall Street was only expecting earnings of 42 cents per share. As for the share price appreciation, this is where CMSCA really shines. The stock is up 22% this year.

The company’s deal to acquire a majority stake in NBC Universal added nicely to its bottom line in the most recent quarter, and now accounts for about a third of Comcast’s revenue. That division grew 18% from the prior year, and the resurgence of the NBC broadcast network, which grew 37% last year, is a big part of that growth.